Bill Gates to finally receive his Harvard degree

Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft is to receive an honorary degree when he speaks at Harvard University in June.

Nancy Gohring, IDG News Service
March 22, 2007

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Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft is to receive an honorary degree when he speaks at Harvard University in June.

Gates arrived at Harvard in 1973 and while there got to know Steve Ballmer, Microsoft's CEO, who lived down the hall.

Gates had already discovered his interest in software, having programmed computers since the age of 13. While at Harvard, Gates helped develop a version of the programming language BASIC for the first microcomputer, the MITS Altair.

He then dropped out of the university to work full-time on Microsoft, a company he and his childhood friend Paul Allen founded.

In July 2008, Gates plans to step down from his day-to-day role at Microsoft in order to devote most of his time to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the philanthropic organisation focussing on global health problems and funding educational programs. He will remain chairman of Microsoft.